


Colors of war

by sparkinmybonfireheart



Series: Colors of war [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Dystopia, Klaine, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 17:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8455594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkinmybonfireheart/pseuds/sparkinmybonfireheart
Summary: Kurt is living in a settlement in the woods ever since the rebellion started and his family got banned by the government. He wouldn't want to be a part of this intolerable society anyway. He works hard, does whatever he needs to do to stay alive and most of all: he keeps to himself. Until a certain someone comes barging into his life, that is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My very first Klaine Fic! This is part one, more to come if you like it... 
> 
> As always thanks to Lynne for editing and to you all: thanks for reading!

Kurt places his bow on the tiny table of his cabin and takes out the arrows, counting them one by one. He needs to make some extra soon, but he’s been busy with other things lately and it has been quiet on the outskirts of their camp, not a lot of strangers passing by. He needs to be prepared though, so he should start working on his stock shortly. He checks the arrows for dirt and sharpness by brushing his fingers over the tip. They’re excellent quality, self-made and he’s absolutely sure that when he shoots one of these, he’ll shoot to kill. 

 

He’s about to make some tea when he hears the shouting. He recognizes Santana’s sharp voice and when the horn blows as a sign of strangers trespassing their territory, he’s already out the door, bow in hand, arrows ready to go.

 

‘Warriors ahead! Six, no wait, eight of them!’ Santana stands on the watch tower, squinting, looking east. Quinn arrives on her left, bow in hand, waiting for the order to shoot.

 

‘Colors?’ She’s panting and her right hand trembles lightly as she tightens her grip.

 

‘Can’t tell! No shooting! Hold on!’ Santana climbs onto the very edge of the tower and stretches to make out who’s nearing their camp. Kurt takes the steps two at a time, followed by Brittany and they take their position next to Quinn, readying their bow. Kurt peers into the distance and sees eight men galloping through the trees.

‘They’re on horses, so either rich guys or thieves.’ He stretches the bow. ‘Been awhile since we’ve had rich guys in these territories.’

Quinn glances at him and takes a deep breath, ready to fight.

‘Hold on!’ Santana stretches a little further. ‘No shooting! Dalton colors!’ She waves a white flag and blows the horn again. ‘No shooting, you guys! Dalton colors!’ 

 

The warriors approach rapidly now and Kurt can make out their clothes and faces. There’s blood and dirt all over them.

‘They’re hurt!’ He lowers his bow.

Santana climbs down and rushes towards him. ‘Kurt, go get Mike and Tina. Make sure everything is ready.’ Her face gets grim. ‘Seems like we have some patching up to do.’

 

*

Blaine tries to hold on to his horse as best as he can, but Wes is completely passed out, his weight heavy against him and it takes every ounce of his strength to stay put. He sees Jeff riding next to him, Nick limp and heavy in his arms. He notices the panic in his eyes, but he can’t do anything to reassure him. He hasn’t got the energy and he hasn’t got a clue which settlement they’re approaching right now. They’ve been on the road like this for two days, hurt and exhausted and they can only pray for friendly faces on the other side of this fence. Either they get help by taking a chance coming here, or they get captured and enslaved or killed. They haven’t got any other options though, at least half of them are severely wounded, injured by fighting against government soldiers and they need a doctor or at least a healer.

 

His breathing gets heavier as they come closer to the gate and he quickly checks if Wes is still tied to the horse. As the heavy wooden doors open before him, he sees the white flag and a brief sigh of relief leaves his chest. After that the world is spinning and he feels himself sliding off the horse, hitting the ground. A pair of blue-greyish eyes right above him is the last thing he sees before he passes out.

*

‘They’ve put us all in danger! I say we clean them up as best as we can and send them on their way!’ Quinn glares at the group of people that has come together outside of the doctor’s cabin.

‘They’re hurt, Quinn! We have to take care of them!’ Tina doesn’t hesitate. ‘It’s our duty to give them proper treatment, they’re not government people, they’re outcasts just like us and they’re Dalton boys on top of that!’

‘Dalton boys? Boys you say? They’re warriors and we’ll be very lucky if they didn’t attract any unwanted attention and led the government troops straight to us.’ Quinn crosses her arms. ‘I don’t want them here. They’ll get us killed.’

Mike shakes his head. ‘They could also help to protect both us and the settlement. I mean, it’s like you’ve said, Quinn, they are warriors. Maybe we can use this to our advantage.’

They both turn to Santana, who’ll have the last word, as usual. She looks at Kurt, who doesn’t say anything. Then she shrugs. ‘They can stay.’ She looks at Tina’s satisfied expression while Quinn huffs and staggers off. Then she glances at Kurt again. ‘For now.’

*

Tina smiles at Kurt when he lingers at the door.

‘Kurt, come in. Do you have the herbs I asked you for?’

He nods. ‘Yeah, I… who are they for anyway?’

Tina looks at the bed in the far most corner. ‘That one over there. Got his shoulder hurt pretty bad, his side, too.”

Kurt looks at the man lying in the bed near the window. The clean, white sheets contrast with his olive skin. Kurt tries not to let his eyes drift, distracted by the colorful, intricate patterns on his skin that indicate him being a warrior. He seems to be completely out of it, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even.

‘Could you maybe help me out for a bit?’ Tina huffs out a breath. ‘I’ll make the ointment, maybe you could rub it into his skin and put on his bandages? I still have to take care of this one, too.’ She points at another guy who’s whimpering softly, his face scrunched up in pain.

‘Uh, okay. As long as he’s out. As soon as he wakes up, I’m gone, Tina.’

She smiles at him softly. ‘I know.’ She touches his shoulder. ‘Thanks, Kurt. I’ll make the ointment real quick.’

She rushes off to a closet in the back, stuffed with all kinds of equipment, herbs and medicine. Kurt takes a closer look around the room and notices a third man lying in another bed, although he seems more like a boy with his smooth skin and short brown hair. He looks so young, though war colors are smudged all over his body. He must have done something to get them. Kurt tries not to think about what that might be and walks over to Tina who is almost ready mixing the herbs he got her, working her magic. She hands over the ointment and smiles at him again. 

 

‘Bandages are on the top shelf. Thanks, Kurt.’

He nods before getting the things he needs and goes over to the injured man who still seems to be sleeping deeply. He checks the wound on his shoulder and notices it’s already clean, so he carefully applies the ointment and puts the bandage on. Tina said something about his side being hurt so he lifts the sheets and gasps when he sees the deep cut and the raw flesh surrounding it. God damn, that must have hurt. He quickly checks if the man is still sleeping and continues his work even more precisely than before. The war colors that are all over the guy’s skin are dangerously close to the wound and he tries not to get any of the paint into the injury. He can’t wash it as it’s a special kind of paint that won’t come off, but if it enters the wound it could get infected. Putting on the bandage takes all of his concentration so he doesn’t notice when the man opens his eyes and stares at him. A soft whimper draws his attention and when he looks up he stares into the most distracting hazel eyes he has ever seen. He draws his eyes away quickly and finishes up as fast as he can.

The man whispers. ‘Thank you, doc.’

Kurt chooses not to correct him, but rushes off instead, finding Tina taking care of the Asian man she was talking about before.

‘He’s up. I’m out.’ Kurt turns around and leaves without any further explanation. Tina understands though, she won’t question him, so Kurt hurries to his own cabin, making sure his hands are thoroughly washed before doing anything else, washing off the ointment and taking away any memories of war color paint with it.

*

Blaine blinks a few times before realizing he’s in some kind of hospital or some room that must serve as one anyway. He looks around and flinches when he fully regains his consciousness, a wave of pain coming along with it. A friendly looking girl with kind eyes walks towards him and takes his arm to check his pulse.

‘Hi there, welcome back!’

He must look as confused as he feels, because she laughs lightly and explains. 

 

‘You already woke a few minutes earlier, but you passed out again, probably from the pain. I’m Tina, by the way.’

Oh right, now he remembers. He looks around the room again, his eyes searching. He clears his throat.

‘Someone took care of me before. The bandages?’ He glances down to check if he wasn’t dreaming. Nope, still there.

Tina coughs and shuffles a bit. ‘Yeah, I’ll take care of you from this moment on.’ She smiles at him again and takes out a thermometer. ‘I’m guessing you have a fever, I’m going to check, okay?’

Blaine nods and closes his eyes again, exhaustion making him slow and sluggish. He did pick up on the girl’s awkwardness though and somehow he gets the idea there’s something she doesn’t want him to know. Something about the man that took care of him earlier. He knows when not to pry though, and the pain of his injuries is really getting to him, so he lets it slide, letting sleep wash over him once again.

*


	2. Chapter 2

‘So, our new residents seem to recover just nicely.’ Mercedes remarks a few weeks later when Kurt is sitting in her small kitchen, drinking some leftover soup she had stashed away. Kurt hums, but doesn’t comment any further.

‘I heard Santana say they are getting watch duty, even getting rostered in with the hunters, too. That means you guys get some more free time, so that’s a good thing.’ She giggles. ‘I guess they’ll be fully operational rather quickly, if their appetite is anything to go by. Then again, I am the most amazing cook, so it could be my exceptional culinary skills that got them eating so much.’

Kurt shoots her a smile. ‘That must be it, Mercedes, who would be able to resist anything you prepare anyway?’

She raises an eyebrow at him and shakes her head. ‘You are not even being sarcastic now, are you? You are just downright complimenting me.’ Her face softens. ‘Damn, sweetheart, you have changed.’

Kurt sits back so abruptly that it throws her off completely. 

 

‘I’m sorry, Kurt. I didn’t mean…’

He shakes his head. ‘It’s okay.’ He scoots back his chair and turns around quickly.

‘Kurt?’

He pauses and his back tenses. He won’t look at her though.

‘We’ll see you back at dinner soon?’ Mercedes tries to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice, but she’s not really sure she’s succeeding. It has been weeks since Kurt sat down to eat with the rest of them, carefully avoiding the Dalton warriors at any cost.

He mumbles without turning towards her. ‘I have to get going. Thanks for the soup.’

Mercedes sighs as she sees him leave. He’ll have to get used to them at some point, especially when they’re healed and starting to work along with the rest of them.

*

‘Who’s the loner?’ Blaine observes Kurt keeping watch on the tower, alert and focused, bow in his hand.

‘Hmm?’ Quinn blinks at him.

‘The tall, pale guy who hardly talks to anyone and doesn’t seem to eat?’ Blaine points at Kurt and Quinn’s face softens.

‘Oh, you mean Kurt.’ She smiles at him. ‘It’s Kurt.’

‘So, what’s that all about? Is he… hurt or something? He can speak, can’t he?’

Quinn chuckles. ‘Oh, he can speak, believe me, used to have a rather sharp tongue, too.’ The smile leaves her face even more quickly than it got there. ‘Listen Blaine, I know he will never tell you himself and I think you’re one of the good guys and I’d like you to understand, so… I’ll tell you, but don’t spread it around, okay? I mean, most people here already know Kurt’s story, but I don’t think he would appreciate it if all you Dalton boys suddenly know his whole background.’

Blaine narrows his eyes. ‘Why me?’

Quinn avoids his gaze. ‘I think you could be good for him. A good influence, I mean. You could be…’ She decides to take a chance. ‘You could be good for each other. I know you could.’

Blaine holds his breath. Is she implying what he thinks she’s implying? ‘Why is that?’

She shrugs. ‘I’ve come to know you in these past few weeks. I’ve known Kurt for all my life.’ She stops talking.

Blaine exhales slowly. He smiles. ‘That’s all the explanation I’m going to get, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah. So, you want to know about Kurt or what?’

He looks at the lonely figure on the far end of the tower.

‘Yes, I do.’

Quinn nods. ‘Okay.’ She rakes her hand through her long, blond hair. Then she starts talking.

‘He used to be outgoing, flamboyant even, he had a great sense of fashion, he still does.’ She smiles at Blaine briefly. ‘He was one of the most genuine, kind, sweet guys I’ve ever known. Sure, he was different, but in a good way. He wasn’t afraid to show himself, to express himself and come out for the things he did or didn’t like. He used to fight for who he was.’

Blaine looks at Quinn intently and sees her shoulders tense. 

 

‘He doesn’t anymore though, I feel like he has given up, in a way. He’s still there, the old Kurt, somewhere deep inside, but most days he’s silent, serious, sad even.’

‘What happened?’

Quinn sighs. ‘The same thing that happened to a lot of us. His family didn’t fit the government requirements, you know: don’t think for yourself, fit in, always obey and never utter a word of protest. They got banned, but that wasn’t the worst of it. One day government troops came to their settlement in the woods. I wasn’t with them at the time, I don’t know exactly what happened and he never told me, not the details anyway. His stepmother and brother got killed. He has no clue what happened to his step dad, he hasn’t seen him since. Kurt himself was injured pretty badly, but he did survive. They left him for dead, but Santana found him on one of her scavenger hunts and brought him here. He wouldn’t say a word at first. Didn’t get much better after that.’ She looks straight ahead and stays silent for a while. 

 

‘When I was around him, it was almost as if his sadness was palpable, you know? I remember thinking: how can one human being bear all of that grief, all of that sadness. Since then, I truly believe one can die of a broken heart.’ She suddenly sits up and coughs. ‘He got better though. He started eating the stuff that Mercedes made especially for him and as he got stronger he started to hunt with us, keep watch, that kind of thing. He didn’t talk much, though, he still doesn’t.’ She hesitates. ‘Blaine, I know he can become that kind, gentle man again, he can find himself again. He just needs someone to help him get there.’

Blaine shifts in his seat. It’s his turn to take a chance here. ‘You think I can.’

Quinn keeps staring in the distance, but she takes his hand, carefully.

‘I know you can.’

*

‘You know I can’t get out of this, Kurt.’ Santana taps her fingers on her bow while they walk, looking anywhere but at Kurt. 

 

‘They’re warriors, we can use them around here. They have the strength, the know-how. It also means we’ll get more rest, all of us and we need that, you know we do. We’re exhausted enough as it is. They need a place to stay and we need a lot more hands to help than we have right now. It’s the logical thing to do. They can help protect our community.’ She pauses. She knows she’s rambling, but Kurt’s expression makes her nervous. She used to snap at him all the time when they were younger and back then he gave as good as he got, but he doesn’t anymore. All the bad stuff that happened to him has changed him, made him careful and quiet. He’s still her friend though, one of the few she has left and she doesn’t want him to hurt.

‘Kurt.’ She stops to look at him. ‘They’re not government troops, they are not here to cause you pain.’ She touches his arm, but backs off when he flinches. ‘Give them a chance, you’ll see they are okay. They really are. I uhm… I’m giving them permission to stay. Indefinitely.’

She expects him to leave, to get upset or don’t say anything at all, but his gaze wanders and lands on Blaine. He’s busy working in front of one of the workshops, making a wooden toy for Quinn’s daughter Beth. They’ve been here for a few months now and people have started to accept them. All of those men have been kind and gentle and nothing but friendly. Kurt knows he’s been cold and distant, but he can’t help it, every time he sees those damn war colors on their skin his blood runs cold. He’s not stupid though, he knows it would be good for their community if they’d stay.

‘Okay.’

Santana takes him in. ‘What?’

‘I said okay.’ He turns abruptly and walks off, leaving his friend with a faint smile on her face.

*


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt steps in between the trees carefully, aware of the fact that any step could cost him his freedom, as the government has traps set out everywhere and not a single forest is completely safe. It’s been awhile since they’ve come across an ambush though and he must admit it’s hard not to let his guard down while he enjoys the smell of the woods, the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind and the somehow comforting presence of the trees. He likes being out here. He tends to forget how dangerous it is, hunting for food while there could be government soldiers lurking about, ready to attack at first sight.

He looks at Brittany on his left and Santana on his right, holding on to their bow, trying to stay alert for any sounds, animals or soldiers alike.

He lifts his foot to take another step when he hears a faint creaking sound, setting his nerves on fire instantly. He signals the girls to stop without making any sound and they stand still immediately, listening to the deafening silence that weighs down on them. It is silent indeed, too silent. He hears the arrow before he sees it, but it’s too late, it speeds right past him, hitting Brittany full in the stomach.

‘Ugh!’ She staggers back and falls down on her knees, sagging on her side immediately. Kurt lets himself drop down on the ground, taking his bow with him.

‘Britt!’ Santana screams and tries to run past him, but Kurt manages to snatch her sweater by the very tip and yanks her down.

‘Stop!’ He hisses and pulls her closer. He puts his fingers on his lips and whispers. ‘Quiet!’  
She looks at him, her eyes wide and Kurt gestures and mouths at her. ‘Crawl!’

Santana nods quickly and ducks down while she tries to get closer to Brittany without making any sound. Kurt stays close to the ground, glancing in all directions, trying to locate the shooter. It must be a lone wolf, if not, they wouldn’t be alive anymore. He or she probably shot just by aiming at the sounds they were making too, if not they would have taken another shot by now, making sure Brittany wouldn’t live to tell. He lets his eyes wander around and purses his ears, trying to make out any sound at all. In the meantime he watches Santana getting closer to Brittany, who is clearly trying to stay conscious, her eyes drooping, trying to keep applying pressure on the wound on her stomach.

Suddenly Kurt hears it, a faint gliding sound, indicating an arrow being pulled out. He closes his eyes, turns around into the direction of the sound and shoots.

‘Ugh!’

Got him! He gets up quickly and rushes through the trees. He hears a groaning sound, takes a few more steps and there he is. He takes in the face of the boy, because that’s what he is, not even a man, a young guy, trying to pull the arrow out of his arm. His eyes get big when Kurt stands before him and he tries to crawl backwards.

Santana emerges besides Kurt.

‘Scout?’

Kurt shakes his head. ‘No. No government tattoos. He’s an outcast.’

Santana takes another step towards the boy, her face scrunched up in anger, but Kurt holds her back.

‘Santana, no.’

The boy in front of them is panting by now, panic oozing off of him. Santana takes another step, but Kurt turns towards her, talking to her quietly.

‘Santana. You’ve got no colors up ‘til now. Keep it that way.’

She balls her fists and takes a deep breath. ‘The arrow must have been poisoned. Britt has passed out. Doesn’t look good.’ She continues without taking her eyes off of the boy in front of them. ‘I should… hurt him. He doesn’t deserve any better.’

Kurt shakes his head. ‘He’s banned and cursed, just as we are. We might be outcasts, but we’re not murderers.’ He glares at the boy.

‘Go! Leave and don’t come back here, you hear me?’

The boy scrambles to his feet and backs away slowly.

Kurt takes a few steps closer. ‘Go on! I said: leave!’ The boy turns his back on them and starts to run for real now, obviously relieved he’s making it out alive.

Kurt rushes back to Brittany, checks her wound quickly and then glances up at Santana. He swallows. ‘We need Mike and Tina. It’s too dangerous to move her and I can’t help her like that, I don’t have the skills for anything that serious.’

Santana nods quickly, biting her lip. ‘I’m not leaving her, you go back to camp and get help.’ She shoves Kurt forcefully. ‘Go on, go!’

Kurt grips his bow tightly, turns and starts running as quickly as he dares. He’d better get to camp fast if he wants the girls to stay alive, both of them.

*

 

Blaine winces as Tina takes of his bandage. His injuries have healed rather well, but the one on his side keeps hurting like hell, must have been some special kind of poison. Tina made another ointment that should help speed up the curing process and she’s about to start the treatment as the door of the clinic flies open and Kurt barges in. He halts right at the door, hands on his knees, panting like there’s no tomorrow.

‘Kurt?’ Mike is with him in an instant. He looks at the door and furrows his brow. ‘Santana? Brittany?’

Kurt tries to even his breathing and almost chokes on his words.

‘Britt is hurt. Badly. Poisoned arrow. Couldn’t help her. Santana’s with her. You got to go.’ He looks at Tina. ‘Both of you.’

Tina stands up immediately, tossing some medicine and equipment into a bag. Mike rushes to their cabinet for emergencies and takes out some food and water, packing it up quickly.

‘The usual spot?’

Kurt nods. ‘Past the meadow, about a mile east of it.’

Tina puts a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. ‘Kurt, you’ve got to take care of Blaine, he needs this new ointment, if he doesn’t get it the wound will get infected.’

Kurt shakes his head. ‘Tina, I can’t…’

She squeezes his shoulder. ‘Kurt, please. I would ask someone else, but you’re the only one who knows what he’s doing when it comes to these things. He needs a new bandage and you need to disinfect his injury again. You know it’s delicate, with his, uh, condition…’ She looks at him apologetically and he knows she means the colorful paint on his skin.

Kurt avoids Blaine’s gaze. He grumbles.

‘Okay. You get Santana and Brittany back here safe and sound, you hear?’

Tina grabs her bag and nods. ‘Be back as soon as we can.’

 

*

‘Okay.’ Kurt mumbles, but he seems to be talking to himself, so Blaine doesn’t answer him. Kurt moves around the clinic, grabbing the ointment, new bandages and some other stuff Blaine can’t really make out. He takes a large gulp of water from the bottle on the table in the back. Eventually he comes closer to where Blaine is sitting on the treatment table and puts all the stuff he needs on a nearby chair. His jaw is set and he flexes the muscles in his arms. Then he sits on the little chair Tina always uses to tend to her patients and moves a little closer. He avoids looking at Blaine by keeping his eyes downcast. Blaine shifts on the table and he notices Kurt tense immediately. He tries to stay still as best as he can after that. Kurt lifts Blaine’s shirt, but he can’t reach his injury like that. He coughs and mumbles again.

‘You’ll have to take your shirt off.’

Blaine nods and quickly complies. He goes still again after that. He’s almost afraid to move, fearing it will scare Kurt, who is moving around him in the most distrustful way, like a skittish little kitten. Kurt takes a clean cloth and some water and starts cleaning the wound. As soon as the water hits the skin Blaine hisses in pain. Kurt holds still, his fingers trembling. He takes a deep breath and continues, slower this time, still not looking up. Blaine bites his lip to keep from whimpering. God damn, this really hurts. It seems to last forever, but eventually Kurt seems to be satisfied. Blaine has closed his eyes by then, not wishing to see every movement Kurt makes, he just wants it to be over with without him passing out. He feels another cloth swiping over the wound and a few minutes later finally the faint click of a little jar. Blaine tries to keep breathing evenly, but the pain washes over him in waves by now. Kurt hesitates.

‘Don’t faint on me now.’

Blaine shakes his head. He’s white as a sheet and cold sweat starts trickling down his temples. Suddenly he feels cool fingers touching his own, the unexpected contact startling him. His eyes fly open and he looks down at Kurt who is staring at him with a frown on his face.

‘You’re hurting.’

It’s not a question. Blaine takes another shivering breath. Kurt quickly retreats his hand and begins to apply the ointment.

‘You’ll feel better in a minute.’

He’s right. A few moments later Blaine feels his skin prickling, but in a good way. He almost cries with relief. He feels like he can breathe again.

 

Kurt stands to wash his hands and then comes back to put a fresh bandage on. He has no choice but to stand close and Blaine feels goose bumps all over his skin. If his breathing gets a little more shallow, it has nothing to do with the man standing in front of him. Nothing at all.

‘Why won’t you talk to me?’ He doesn’t just want to make conversation, he really wants to know why Kurt avoids him like the plague and keeps giving him the silent treatment.

Kurt stills. The air is heavy for a few moments, but then he continues as if nothing happened. The only thing indicating that he did hear Blaine’s question is the slight trembling of his hands. It doesn’t take him long to finish up and Blaine releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Then Kurt startles him again by suddenly grabbing onto his wrist real tight.  
Oh no! Blaine tries to twist his arm, but he’s too late, Kurt has clearly already seen it. He stares at the blue and grey tattoo that is etched into Blaine’s skin and when he finally looks at Blaine his eyes couldn’t be more cold.

‘You’re their warlord?’ If he tries to keep the disbelieve out of his voice, it isn’t working. He swallows audibly.

‘Kurt…’

Blaine stares into his eyes and sees a flash of hurt and misery and he knows Kurt won’t give him a chance to explain.

Kurt drops Blaine’s wrist as if he got burned and stumbles back until he hits the table behind him. If Blaine is their warlord and he must be, because you can’t get a tattoo like that just anywhere, it means he has killed. A lot. To be chosen warlord you must kill at least a hundred people. At least a hundred. He shakes his head as if to wake up from a bad dream.

‘You’re their warlord.’ He whispers.

Blaine tries to get off the table, while Kurt pushes himself even closer to the table. He’s shaking and Blaine can’t do a damn thing to convince him he’s not going to hurt him. Oh god, he’s so not going to hurt him. He stretches out his hand, but it only causes Kurt to cringe and wrap his arms around himself. Blaine knows absolute and utter fear when he sees it.

‘I don’t want to hurt you, Kurt. I…’ He holds his hands up in front of him. ‘I know you’re surprised and probably scared right now. I don’t pretend to understand, I can only guess what you’ve been through. You don’t have to be scared of me, though.’

Kurt just stares at him with wide eyes.

‘I just… I don’t want to hurt you. I wouldn’t.’ He knows Kurt just won’t listen to him right now. His mind is made up, there’s nothing he can do.

‘I’ll leave you now. Maybe we can talk later.’

Blaine steps away from Kurt, slowly. As he reaches the door he looks back and sees Kurt following his every move.

‘Thank you for the treatment, Kurt. I really appreciate it.’

He steps outside, cringing when he feels the pain in his side. His quick pace makes him see black spots in front of his eyes, but he can’t stay here right now. He goes back to his cabin, feeling like a bad situation just got much, much worse.

*


	4. Chapter 4

Mike and Tina return with Santana and Brittany that same night. Brittany got hit in the stomach rather badly and even if Mike does everything he possibly can, he’s not sure she’ll make it through. Santana doesn’t leave her side the days after that and it shakes everyone in camp, knowing they might lose a highly valued member of their community by the poisoned arrow of a young, scared boy who didn’t even know what he was doing.

It takes off the attention of Kurt for a while, until Quinn comes knocking at his door one morning, her face promising thunder and lightning. Kurt isn’t the least bit scared.

‘What did you do to Blaine?’

Kurt immediately goes to defense. ‘What did I do? I took care of his injury, that’s what I did.’

She scoffs. ‘That’s not what I meant and you know it, Kurt Hummel. He suddenly seems all gloomy and stuff and I want to know what you’ve said to him.’

He just turns around, looking out of the window, his shoulders tense. Then all the tension seems to seep right out of him and he answers quietly.

‘He’s a warlord, Quinn.’

She stays silent. Kurt turns back to look at her and he sees the concern written all over her face.

‘I know.’

He looks away, trying not to show that he’s hurt she knew and he didn’t. Why didn’t she tell him? Did she see the tattoo? Did Blaine tell her himself? Did she guess?

‘Then why is he still here?’

Quinn moves closer, but she knows better than to touch him.

‘Blaine is not a bad person, Kurt.’

He huffs.

‘He isn’t. You don’t know the whole story.’

‘Oh, so there’s a story now, is there?’

Quinn touches his arm lightly to draw his attention. When Kurt looks her straight in the eye she continues.

‘Everybody has a story, Kurt. So has Blaine. Yes, he’s a warlord, but he won’t harm us, any of us.’ He doesn’t answer, so she keeps talking.

 

‘I can’t tell you everything, because it’s not my story to tell, but the deaths he’s accounted for? He didn’t just kill innocent people in cold blood, Kurt. It’s not like he killed a hundred people one by one by slitting their throats.’

Kurt shivers and she smiles wryly. 

 

‘I didn’t get these by being the most lovely girl in the world either you know.’ She indicates the red and white war colors that cover her skin, Lima colors.

‘We’ve all made mistakes, Kurt, people got killed for all kinds of reasons, hell, some of them just had it coming.’ She clears her throat. ‘Anyway, we’ll do whatever we need to survive and if you were forced, if you would have to choose between life and death or if you would have to kill to save a loved one, you would also do it, just like Blaine did, just like we all would.’

Kurt hesitates. Blaine became warlord by killing for people he loved? How? And why so many of them?

Quinn puts a small paper on the table. “I got you a drawing from Beth. She asked me to give it to you, because you seemed sad and you haven’t left your house in three days except for hunting and keeping watch. She thought you were scared for Brit and wanted to comfort you.’

Kurt feels his heart warm. ‘Thanks, Quinn.’

A little nod and then she’s at the door. ‘Talk to Blaine, Kurt. He doesn’t deserve your hostility. He’s one of the good guys, even if he’s a warlord.’

Kurt chews his lip as he watches her leave.

‘Oh and Kurt? She sticks her head through the door once more and smiles in earnest now. ‘Mike says Britt’s going to be fine, thanks for helping out.’

He waves at her and goes to his little kitchen, taking out some leaves for tea and putting the kettle on the fire to boil some water. Quinn somehow always manages to make Kurt feel better, but now she also leaves him confused and shaken up, dozens of disconcerting thoughts swirling around in his head.

*

‘Blaine, we’re going to take a short walk, see if those berries are still there. You want to come with?’ Jeff looks at him expectantly.

Blaine looks up from his notebook. ‘Uh, sure, who’s going?’

‘Just me and Nick. Come on, man, you could use some fresh air, you’ve been all pale and shit ever since we got here.’

Nick shoves his arm. ‘Jeff, he got shot with a poisonous arrow. Twice.’

Jeff rubs his knuckles over Nick’s head and grins. ‘No reason to get all defensive about it!’

They keep shoving at each other playfully and Blaine rolls his eyes. These two, really!

‘Come on guys, let’s get going, if you keep this up there won’t be any berries left by the time we get there. I bet you’re not the only ones to have discovered them, are you?’

Nick grabs a little box for the berries and starts running. He shouts over his shoulder. ‘Last one to get there doesn’t get a goddamn thing!’

Jeff starts chasing after him and Blaine starts laughing. ‘Hey, did you guys bring your bows with you?’ He quickly grabs his own and follows them. A walk in the fresh air between these beautiful trees might just be what he needs right now.

In spite of his teasing earlier Nick waits for them at the edge of the camp, knowing full well it’s much safer for them to stay together.

‘We won’t go too far, but just keep your eyes and ears open, okay?’

Jeff and Blaine both nod and they follow Nick through the green walls of leaves and branches.

*

Kurt closes his eyes and lets the soothing water wash over his body. It’s cool and he feels goose bumps all over his skin, but the water makes him feel clean and revived like nothing else can. Every time he comes here to swim or to clean his sensitive skin with the little bar of scented soap he keeps at the back of his cupboard, he feels better, physically as well as mentally. He knows it’s dangerous and maybe he should stop doing it, but he hasn’t told anyone and he likes to keep it that way. He wouldn’t want anyone else disturbing this quiet little place he found for himself or even prevent him from coming here at all. If Quinn or Mercedes knew, they would be scared. Well, Mercedes would be scared, Quinn would be livid and he wouldn’t want her rage to be pointed towards him any time soon.

He doesn’t really know how it happens but his thoughts drift and he lets his guard down. Suddenly he gets spooked by the sound of a branch breaking under someone’s foot. Holy hell. Someone’s there. His heart starts racing wildly in his chest and he quickly scans his surroundings trying to estimate if he’ll have enough time to reach the shore of the little pool he’s swimming in.

He glides through the water as quickly and quietly as he can, but he’s too late. He sees movement in between the trees and when he looks up in fear, he suddenly looks right into a pair of hazel eyes. Blaine’s eyes.

*

Kurt is standing right in front of him, drops of water glistening on his pale chest and Blaine’s mind goes blank. They stare at each other for a few seconds and the fear in Kurt’s eyes shakes Blaine back to life.

‘Uh, guys?’ Blaine calls out to Nick and Jeff, his eyes not leaving Kurt’s for a second. ‘We can’t go through here, it’s a dead end, we’ll have to go back.’

Kurt stays frozen on the spot, he feels like his heart is going to jump right out of his chest any minute now.

He hears some faint murmuring and then Blaine is with him in an instant. He kneels and talks quickly, quietly.

‘Don’t leave, it’s too dangerous to be alone here right now. Jeez, Kurt, what were you thinking?’ He looks at him, an odd expression on his face. ‘I’ll get rid of them, I can. I’ll come back for you. Wait for me, okay? Kurt?’

Kurt still seems to be in shock about Blaine discovering his favorite hiding spot and he can’t do anything but nod. Blaine disappears as quickly as he came and Kurt keeps still, the danger of what he’s been doing just seeping in right now, too scared to come out of the water and appear in plain sight.

 

A few moments later Blaine is back, all by himself now. Kurt’s heart starts thumping fast again. He doesn’t know what to think of it.

‘Kurt?’ Blaine kneels down again, close to the edge of the pool. ‘Are you okay?’ He keeps fidgeting with his bow. Kurt just nods again.

‘Can you…you have to come out now.’ Something flickers in Blaine’s eyes. ‘Please.’

He’s afraid he’s still scared of him, Kurt understands and the realization shakes him back to life.

‘I, uh…’ He coughs. ‘Turn around.’

Blaine looks at him in confusion and then suddenly his eyes get wide. He turns around before Kurt can even blink. Kurt quickly puts on his clothes and gets his belongings.

‘Okay.’

Blaine watches him, but stays at a respectable distance. He doesn’t say a thing, he just starts walking, his bow out and ready. Kurt follows suit, until they’re back in camp and without asking Kurt just knows Blaine won’t spill his secret. He returns to his cabin quickly, without even thanking Blaine and it leaves him with an uneasy feeling that stays right there, in the pit of his stomach for the remainder of the evening.

*

Raindrops are slowly trickling through the leaves and create a whole new melody of their own. Blaine can’t sleep. He tried listening to the rain falling down quietly to sooth him back to sleep, but he keeps tossing and turning in his bed until he just can’t take it anymore and gets out. He stares out of the window, out into the dark of the night. Images of Kurt in the pool earlier that day is all he sees though. Why would he risk it? Going out all by himself, unprotected. It was stupid. It was stupid, but Blaine understands where he’s coming from. The settlement is only small, it seems there’s no privacy at all, ever. He can imagine Kurt would need some privacy once in awhile, just a few moments when those curious glances don’t follow you everywhere you go.

 

He closes his eyes for a minute and lets himself think about the way his heart started racing the moment he realized Kurt wasn’t wearing any clothes back there. For a minute he allows himself the crazy thoughts running through his head. Thoughts of joining that beautiful man in the water, touching that pale, milky white skin and letting himself drown in the embrace of someone he shouldn’t think that way about. Blaine bites back a whimper and clenches his fists. No, he can’t think that way about Kurt. He can’t have those thoughts without putting the both of them in danger.

 

He paces back and forth in the small room of his cabin for a few moments more, but then he gives in to this feeling of urgency. He needs to talk to Kurt. He needs to talk to Kurt now. He opens his door quietly and slips out in the dark of the night, not even bothering to put his shirt on. The slight drizzle only makes him slightly wet. Five minutes later Blaine is knocking on Kurt’s door as quiet as he can manage.

 

He is completely taken aback by Kurt opening the door at once. He saw the curtains move, so he’s fairly sure Kurt has seen him. Blaine gazes right into Kurt’s stormy eyes, but he doesn’t speak. He wants to go undetected and talking to each other on Kurt’s doorstep in the middle of the night sure as hell wouldn’t help.

 

Kurt doesn’t seem to be fazed by it and he steps aside to let him in. He leans back against the side wall, making sure to keep his distance and just looks at Blaine as if he’s not even surprised to see him. Maybe he isn’t.

‘You were naked.’

Damn. Blaine feels a blush creeping along his cheeks. He didn’t mean to say that.

Kurt just stares at him. He shivers slightly and Blaine wonders if it’s the cold that is doing that to him. It must be.

‘That’s god damn dangerous, Kurt.’

Blaine’s voice is hoarse and he clears his throat to get the words out.

‘Don’t do that again.’

Kurt stays silent, his eyes wide.

Blaine frowns. ‘I’ll go with you. Next time.’ He looks down and hurries to continue. ‘I won’t… I’ll keep watch, so you can… I’ll keep watch. I’ll keep you safe.’ He coughs. He’s almost sure Kurt will turn him down, hell he might even attack him and accuse him of all kinds of things if he takes this the wrong way.

‘Thank you.’

He looks up. Kurt is looking intently at him. ‘Thank you for not telling. Thank you for…keeping me safe.’

Blaine nods and keeps fidgeting at the bandage that’s still on his wrist. Then he does the only sane thing he can manage right now. He flees, before he does something really stupid, like kissing another guy in his cabin in the woods in the middle of the night.

*


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt Is confused. He’s confused and jittery ever since Blaine came to see him that night. He remembers the way he looked in the soft glow of the moonlight, his skin colorful and almost glowing. He remembers he wanted to touch. He wanted to touch Blaine so bad and it scared him so much that he didn’t get an hour of sleep that night. What he feels is wrong in so many ways, he can’t even begin to name them. Of course, in the still of the night it is all he can think about, his thoughts going around in circles until he can’t do anything but get up and start working. He always has some pants to repair, a jacket to make, a shirt to adjust. The quiet movements of the sewing sooths him, but after a while his mind starts to wander off again. First of all Blaine is not only a warrior, but a warlord as well and those two facts alone are reason enough for Kurt to never look at him twice again. Above all that though, Blaine is a man and one man touching another in a certain way, well… that’s illegal. It is something society had once embraced and then, after the rebellion, threw out of the window completely until all that was left was disgust and disdain for people who dare to love someone like that, well, that and imprisonment.

Kurt doesn’t know Blaine. He doesn’t know his background story, doesn’t know what he was like as a kid when he grew up. He doesn’t know what he likes to eat and he has no clue what his favorite music is like.

Still, when he looked into his eyes that night, there was something there. A hint of recognition, a sense of belonging. Blaine gets to him like no one ever has. He scares the shit out of him. Seeing those war colors on his skin made Kurt almost nauseous the first time he took a good look at them. But then again… Blaine confuses him. He somehow makes him feel safe, too and how can that be when he’s a warrior who’s probably seen more atrocities than Kurt ever will?

Every time he interacted with him though, Blaine was kind, careful, forgiving. Every time Kurt has looked into those comforting eyes, he felt a shiver run down his spine. At first he was certain it was fear, later on he tried to convince himself it was. Now he starts to realize it’s not.

*

Kurt keeps fidgeting and hesitating at the entrance of the dining room for so long, Quinn loses her patience and sends Beth to get him.

She rolls her eyes at Santana. ‘Seriously, I mean, he hasn’t eaten here for months, then he finally manages to get here during dinner time and he still keeps stalling at the door?’

Santana smiles. ‘Well, he did finally get here.’

‘What’s the deal with that anyway? Why wouldn’t he eat here with the rest of us? And why is he suddenly back now?’ Tina furrows her brow. She notices Mike and Quinn exchange some glances. ‘What?’

Mike shrugs his shoulders. ‘It’s love sweetheart, that’s what it is.’

Tina still seems in the dark.

Mike hums. ‘It’s love and I’m all for it if it makes Kurt happy. And I believe it will.’

Quinn squeezes his arm and mouths a ‘thank you’. Tina follows her gaze to where Blaine is sitting with restless eyes, trying to look anywhere but at Kurt and failing miserably.

Suddenly she realizes. ‘Oh.’ She watches Kurt a little closer now, only to see his gaze wandering, until it finds Blaine. She notices how his shoulders suddenly seem less tense and how his face looks softer in the dim light of the lanterns.

‘Oh.’

Mike grabs her hand and nudges her shoulder. ‘We’re ok with that, right?’

Tina smiles at him and nods. ‘We are.’ She feels her heart warm at the sight of Kurt who approaches slowly, looking at Blaine every few steps, clearly trying to decide if he could go sit next to him.

‘Should we be careful though, with the others? I mean, we don’t know where they stand on this.’

 

Santana nods. ‘I think we should be, just to be sure. I don’t want anything happening to him, to them. Even if we’re okay with it, it doesn’t mean everyone else is.’

*

Kurt tries to relax and eat something, but he keeps being overly aware of Blaine’s presence next to him and it’s throwing him off. He starts to doubt his decision to sit next to him when Nick calls him over and he almost wishes he hadn’t come to the dining room altogether.

Suddenly he feels a light brush of fingers on his right hand.

‘Relax.’ Blaine keeps looking in front of him but he keeps his head slightly tilted towards Kurt. ‘I’m not going to hurt you, Kurt.’

Kurt keeps his eyes on the silverware. ‘I know.’ He swallows.

Blaine nods almost imperceptibly. ‘Eat something. Please.’

He carefully puts a small bun on Kurt’s plate. ‘Please.’

Kurt looks at the food in front of him. His fingers start shaking as he realizes Blaine wants to take care of him. He feels Blaine sliding closer, their thighs almost touching.

He quickly looks around, taking in the other people at their table, but it seems nobody’s watching him and he tries to take a breath. He swallows again and takes the bun, still trembling slightly.

‘Thank you.’ Blaine whispers and finally turns his head to look at him. When Kurt meets his gaze, he recognizes so many feelings in the other man’s eyes, he gets confused all over again.

He tries to calm down after that and eat the food Blaine keeps slipping on his plate. He’s so busy trying not to freak out by how warm and cared for this whole thing makes him feel, he doesn’t notice Mike, Tina, Santana and Quinn watching them, nor does he see Nick and Jeff sharing an understanding smile.

 

*

Kurt laces his boots and checks his gear one last time before leaving his cabin to start his shift keeping watch at the tower. He almost gets run over by Santana who rushes in the direction of the work shops.

‘Kurt, I meant to tell you…’

He raises his eyebrows. ‘What?’

‘As the Dalton men got rostered in to keep watch as well, uhm, well, one of them is keeping you company today. That’s okay right?’

‘Uhm…’

‘Okay, that’s settled then.’ She waves at Brittany passing by. ‘Hey, Britt, wait up!’

As Kurt watches Santana leave, he suddenly hears a hesitant voice behind him.

‘Kurt.’

He turns around. It’s Blaine. Of course it would be Blaine. He starts walking in the general direction of the tower quickly, still confused about the way his heart flutters whenever he even sees a glimpse of Blaine.

‘Come on, we’ll be late, Quinn wouldn’t appreciate it.’

He ignores the way Blaine sighs in relief and picks up his pace when he’s sure he’s following him.

He’s not surprised when he catches Santana’s eyes and sees her smiling faintly. He knows she knows. She knows he’s starting to give in and he just doesn’t care. It feels too good to let his guard down, even if it’s only a teeny tiny little bit. Maybe he doesn’t trust his feelings for Blaine just yet, but even talking to him feels like a huge step. It makes him feel good and if that isn’t just a giant leap forward, he doesn’t know what is. It’s been so long since he felt even remotely good about himself, but if Blaine can help him get there, this must be a good thing, right? He chances a look at the warrior beside him and takes in his profile that scares him, yet soothes him so much. He follows him up the stairs and clenches his jaw. He promises himself to try. At least he will try.

*

They tentatively start hanging out after that. Kurt always stays at a safe distance though and Blaine doesn’t push him. They talk. They talk about everything and anything and Kurt feels himself relaxing around Blaine more and more. He finds they have a lot in common, they both used to enjoy music and art before the rebellion started and they share experiences from shows and movies they have seen before the civil war.

Blaine tries not to dwell too much in the fact Kurt’s eyes light up every time he mentions a song they both like and when his heart feels warm every time he makes Kurt smile, well, he tries to keep his his thoughts and especially his hands from wandering.

They both try to tone it down when there are others around, but Blaine can’t hold back the grin on his face whenever he sees Kurt walking up to him. He notices Kurt letting his guard down around him and he figures it’s finally time. Time to talk about the elephant in the room. Time to talk about the when and how he became this person Kurt fears the most. He decides to tell his friend how he got the colors on his skin.

*

Blaine waits until their friends are already back in their cabin, tired from working hard that day. They had a good hunting in the morning and treated themselves on a good meal with some tasty vegetables and even a good portion of meat to go with it. They need their strength to stay alive in the wild and get their work done and they don’t always have enough food for everyone to fill their stomach, so when they do, they tend to enjoy it. 

He pokes at the fire that is still burning quietly and shifts a little, suddenly nervous with Kurt sitting close to him.

Kurt seems to sense something’s up though.

 

‘Blaine?’ He slowly reaches out and takes his hand.

If Blaine is surprised that Kurt touches him, he doesn’t let it show.

‘I…’ He coughs. ‘I want to talk to you.’ He squeezes Kurt’s hand.

Kurt nods. ‘I figured. What about?’

 

Blaine hesitates, then he slowly turns his wrist. ‘About this.’

Kurt stares at the blue and grey patterns, engraved in Blaine’s skin.

Blaine doesn’t move an inch. ‘Okay?’

Kurt bites his lips. ‘Okay.’

‘Okay.’ Blaine keeps poking at the fire.

‘Blaine. It’s okay. You can tell me. I want you to.’ Kurt slides a little closer.

‘Yeah. I’m uh… yeah. So. You know I went to Dalton, the all-boys school. It was my safe haven. The non-bullying policy and all that.’ He glances at Kurt. ‘When I was younger… stuff happened. I needed that reassurance.’

Kurt just hums. He knows Blaine will tell him more when he’s ready. He has started to realize they both have been hurt, in more ways than one.

‘When the rebellion started, it just wasn’t safe anymore. The boys that stayed at Dalton, well… a lot of them were there because of… reasons. A lot of them got bullied before, because of their race, looks, uhm… behavior. A lot of those boys didn’t fit in this new, idealistic society they wanted to create, so the government wanted to get rid of them. My brother, Cooper, he’s a senator. Well, he was.’ Kurt nods. He remembers the name. Cooper Anderson, a rather progressive voice in politics.

 

‘He knew something was going to happen, government troops were given the assignment to take all the Dalton boys out, he warned us right before it was about to happen.’ Blaine takes a deep breath. ‘He let us know where the troops were staying the night before they were scheduled to attack Dalton. They were to leave at dawn.’

Blaine stops talking and keeps looking into the fire. They both stay quiet, listening to each other breathe.  
‘I led the attack. We… god, Kurt, we were just boys, I had some boxing training, the only reason I had any say in this attack at all. We didn’t know what we were doing. We trapped them. Burned the place down. They got killed. All of them.’ Tears run down his face. ‘I was responsible. I did that, Kurt. I killed all of those people.’

Kurt turns his head to look at him. His heart hurts for Blaine. It hurts.

‘Blaine. You didn’t have a choice.’

‘I did. We could have run.’

‘No.’ Kurt shakes his head. ‘There were too many of you. You couldn’t have made it out quick enough. They would have gotten to all of you. You would all be dead now.’

 

Blaine keeps sobbing, his hands trembling as he keeps holding on to the piece of wood he was holding earlier.

‘The other boys held on to our tradition and gave me these war colors.’ He looks at the special paint on his skin that won’t come off anymore. ‘I couldn’t say no, it’s what they do. I would look like a traitor if I refused.’ Then he turns his wrist. ‘They also gave me this tattoo. It makes some people look at me proudly. It also makes some people look at me in fear, in disgust. It makes you look at me in disgust.’ He bows his head.

‘No.’ Kurt shakes his head. ‘No, Blaine. Not anymore. I know you’re a good person. You are. I can feel it in my bones.’ He whispers. ‘I can feel it in my heart every time you look at me.’

He knows they’re out in the open. He knows that if one of the others would look outside of their window, they would see them, being too close. He doesn’t care. He grabs Blaine’s hand and holds on tight.

Kurt still wants to know more though. ‘Blaine, what about your family? Your brother? Your parents?’

‘My parents never cared about me.’ He shrugs.

‘Your brother?’

‘I don’t know where he is.’ He whispers. ‘I miss him. I’m afraid they discovered he tipped us off. I’m scared for him.’

Kurt understands. He can only imagine the feelings of guilt Blaine must have had after the attack.

‘What about your family? Your parents?’

Kurt clears his throat. ‘Don’t remember much about my mom, she died when I was three. Sickness took her. My dad…’ He huffs. ‘Beat the living crap out of me until I was six.’ His face hardens. ‘Didn’t care I got all bruised and stuff, even in my face. He just… didn’t care. Nobody ever said anything and he kept doing it, until Burt came along and took me in.’

‘Burt?’

Kurt’s face softens again. ‘My step dad. He owned the garage my father used to take our car for maintenance. He saw me once, when I came along.’ Kurt looks down. ‘He took one look at me and he knew. Didn’t even let me go home again, either. I’ve been with him ever since.’ He shrugs. ‘Luke is my biological father, but Burt…’ Blaine nods. He understands. He carefully slips his hand into Kurt’s again and squeezes softly. They stay like that, hands intertwined, thighs and arms touching. When they finally separate to go to their cabins the sun is long gone.

 

*


	6. Chapter 6

‘Do you think they’ll come searching for us?’

‘Hmm?’ Blaine takes in his surroundings, ever so careful after Brittany got hit by that arrow while hunting.

‘Those soldiers that were after us.’ Nick grips his bow a little tighter. ‘They know we were injured, that we couldn’t have gotten far. Would they come after us?’

Jeff gives him a little shove. ‘Watch out, you keep walking too close, I’ll trip and stumble. Watch where you’re going, Nicky.’

‘No. I don’t think they’ll come after us. It’s been months. We should be safe now.’ Blaine stops walking, listening intently, interpreting the quiet sounds of the woods.

‘Okay, let’s sit down for a minute and eat and drink something, I’m starving.’

‘You sure about that? You’re worth some serious money, Blaine. Maybe they think you’re worth it. Maybe they’ll keep searching. Shouldn’t we move on, go further west, you know, just to make sure?’

Blaine takes out some sandwiches and tosses one to Jeff, then Nick.

‘I think we’re okay where we are.’ He takes a big bite and swallows it down with some water.

Jeff hums and crushes a little spider that tries to run up his leg. He and Nick exchange glances, but Blaine pretends not to have seen it.

‘You don’t want to leave him, do you?’

Blaine sighs. ‘Jeff.’

Nick elbows his friend to signal him to stop talking, but Jeff knows Blaine. He knows.

‘It’s okay if you don’t, Blaine.’

It’s quiet for a while and then Blaine crumples the leaves their sandwiches were wrapped in and stands again, ready to leave. Before they do though, he grips his bow tight and decides to be honest for once.

‘No, I don’t want to leave him. He makes me feel connected and I’m just so, so tired of running.’

*

It’s already late when they get back to camp and when they come closer they notice there seems to be some commotion. Santana is pacing around at the gates, gesticulating wildly and talking in Spanish, so Blaine’s at a loss to what is happening. Spanish never was his forte. Fortunately Quinn rushes towards them and gets them up to speed as to what is happening.

‘One of the hunting teams that left this morning hasn’t returned yet. They should have been back for hours by now. We don’t know what’s happened and now Santana doesn’t know what to do. Do we wait? Do we send another team out there? But what if there’s an ambush waiting for us and even more of us don’t return?’

Blaine shivers slightly and tries to keep the feeling of uneasiness at bay.

‘The morning teams? They left hours before us.’

Jeff furrows his brow. ‘Who was on the team?’

Blaine stares at Quinn, but she avoids his gaze, so he immediately knows.

 

‘We have to go out there.’

‘Blaine, no, we don’t even know what’s waiting for us out there.’ She grabs his arm, but he draws it back.

‘We have to go out there Quinn. They’re all alone out there.’ He swallows and holds her gaze. ‘He’s all alone out there.’ He’s taking a chance here and he knows it, but he’s seen her look at him, he’s seen her look at Kurt and he suspects she has already guessed. The fact that he’s still standing here and not lying in a ditch somewhere, his throat slit, makes him somehow more confident to speak his mind.

Quinn looks around, making sure no one is eavesdropping and she lowers her voice as she grabs his arm again.

‘Blaine, I know you’re worried about him and you won’t get a minute’s rest as long as he’s out there, but it’s too risky. I say we wait until morning, so we can at least see where we’re going. If they’re not back here by then, we’ll leave at first light.’

He chews his lip and swallows again and again. Nick takes a quick look around and claps his shoulder.

‘Come on Blainey, let’s get back to our cabins and get some rest. It’s been a long day.’

Quinn nods at him and she rushes off to Santana while Nick and Jeff take Blaine along with them.

*

Kurt takes in a deep breath and tries to make out the path in the dim light of his night battery. He signals to his team mates the coast is clear and they make the two mile walk down the last stretch of forest before they reach the camp.

 

His arm hurts where he scraped it across the trees and the scratches on his face from the sweeping tree branches sting ferociously. He is dead tired and aching to get back to camp as soon as they possibly can. An uneasy feeling sits at the pit of his stomach and he needs to get back and see Blaine. He just needs to see him.

An hour later they finally see the gates of the settlement before them and Kurt starts to walk even faster. He needs to get behind those gates. A torch lights up before him and Kurt realizes the guards must have seen them approaching. As soon as they enter the gates, people gather around to hear their story and his team mates explain how they got trapped by wolves and had to wait it out, but Kurt can’t say a goddamn thing. He only has eyes for Blaine and when he sees him rushing away his shoulders slump and a rushing sound enters his ears, his head spinning with exhaustion.

Then Quinn is there and she shoves at him. ‘Go.’

Kurt hurries after Blaine. It’s all he can do.

*

The door of Blaine’s cabin slams behind Kurt and he cringes at the sound. Blaine paces back and forth, his hair in disarray, his jaw set. He stands still, looks at Kurt, opens his mouth to say something, changes his mind and starts pacing again instead.

‘Blaine.’

‘No.’

Kurt feels his heart thudding in his throat.

‘Blaine…’

‘No! You don’t get to do that.’

‘What?’

‘You don’t get to leave like that and not come back. You can’t do that, Kurt, god damn it!’

Blaine keeps walking around, not looking at Kurt at all and it’s throwing him off completely.

‘I didn’t mean to, I… Blaine?’

He stops pacing now, standing in front of Kurt, not saying anything.

‘Blaine?’ Kurt feels so small right now. ‘Please say something?’

He huffs out a breath, his hands balled into fists.

‘What do you want me to say? That I hate it to see you leave every time it’s your turn to go and hunt? That I hate it so much, because all I can do is wait and be scared that you won’t return?’

 

Blaine breathes heavily. ‘Every time, Kurt. Every time I’m afraid that you won’t return and today…’ He looks away. ‘Today….’

Kurt feels his heart hammering away, but he reaches out anyway. ‘I’m here. I’m here, Blaine. Today was not that day. Not today.’

*

Kurt’s fingers trail up Blaine’s arm and he feels him trembling before drawing them back completely. Blaine is still shaking slightly and he feels his heart thumping wildly. He never thought Kurt would touch him voluntarily like that, not without being scared out of his mind.

Kurt takes a deep breath and murmurs. ‘Can I touch…you?’

Blaine blinks at him in confusion. ‘What?’

Kurt frowns. ‘Your…colors. Can I touch your colors?’

Oh. Blaine nods. He doesn’t trust his voice right now. Kurt holds out a trembling hand, but he doesn’t seem to be able to make himself really do it. Blaine reaches out, carefully. He takes Kurt’s hand and puts it on his arm. He looks at him. Kurt is breathing heavily as if he’s trying not to freak out completely.

Blaine just stays very, very still. After a few minutes, Kurt seems to calm down and he starts moving his fingers, lightly brushing them over Blaine’s skin. He follows the lines and patterns of the war drawings and looks so enthralled by them, he seems to forget about Blaine himself completely. He moves his fingers higher, up, up, until he reaches Blaine’s upper arm. He hesitates, lingers, but then his hand moves further, travelling all the way down Blaine’s chest. Blaine shivers, his nerves completely on fire by Kurt touching him, exploring him like that. He doesn’t seem to be afraid though, not yet, so Blaine tries to keep as quiet as he possibly can, afraid any movement or noise will scare Kurt away. He closes his eyes, the image of Kurt touching him like that too much for his heart to handle right now.

‘You’re beautiful.’

Blaine opens his eyes to find Kurt staring at him.

‘You are.’ Kurt swallows. Then his eyes widen as if he suddenly realizes the impact of what he’s been saying, of what he’s been doing. He draws his hand back as if burned. Blaine doesn’t even think about it when he grabs Kurt’s wrist.

‘Kurt, please don’t freak out. Don’t. I want you to touch. I want you to touch me.’

Kurt’s chest is heaving with deep breaths.

‘Oh, god. What am I doing? I didn’t… I didn’t mean it like that Blaine, please, don’t…’ He looks at Blaine in terror, his eyes wide with shock and fear and Blaine… Blaine gets it. He knows the danger, if anyone would see… They could be punished, thrown in jail, beaten to death. He strengthens his grip on Kurt’s wrist.

‘Kurt.’ His voice is rough and filled with emotion and he understands. He understands where Kurt is coming from, but he wants this. He wants it.

‘Kurt. Don’t. Don’t be sorry.’ Blaine slowly puts Kurt’s hand back where it was before. He lets his own hand fall down his side. He’s sure Kurt can feel his heart thudding and he hopes he doesn’t take it all back. Please don’t take it back. He watches Kurt pressing his hand down, right where Blaine’s heart is trying to escape his chest and Blaine gulps in some air, trying to fill his lungs again. He can breathe. He can finally breathe again.

*


	7. Chapter 7

‘We’re having a party.’ Mercedes keeps stirring in a big bowl, adding some flour once in a while and glimpsing at a huge kettle that is hanging above the fire. Kurt can hear something boiling and there’s a funny smell. He has absolutely no clue what’s in it.

‘Uh, a party?’ He eyes the kettle again. ‘What on earth are you making?’

Mercedes puts one hand on her side and shoots him an unimpressed look. ‘You don’t have faith in my cooking skills, Hummel?’

Kurt puts his hands up in defense, but then raises an eyebrow.

‘Wait, why are we having a party?’

‘Because Britt has recovered completely now. Because you returned safely. Because those Dalton boys are staying.’

Kurt rolls his eyes at that. Mercedes keeps on calling them ‘boys’ when they probably have lived through more than other men have experienced in a lifetime.

‘Probably because we haven’t had a storm in about three weeks too, or because the sun is shining today, hell, do we even need a reason to party?’ She smiles at him brightly. ‘I don’t think so, boo!’

 

She sees the corners of his mouth twitch and nods. ‘That’s more like it! Maybe you can use this opportunity to get yourself acquainted with the boys properly.’ She winks. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, sweetiepie, I have some more cooking to do!’ She waves him off and Kurt disappears in the direction of his cabin.

He doesn’t notice Blaine playing with Beth across the path, staring at Kurt as he goes along.

*

‘Oh, come on and dance with me!’ Brittany tries to convince Kurt, but he just smiles at her and backs away.

He must admit the forest is entrancing like this, little lights decorating the trees, leaving a soft, warm glow on the surroundings as well as the people. They have some security at the watch tower tonight, but he’s not on call and he decides to enjoy the evening. Although he was wary at first, he did taste some of Mercedes’ snacks and they were indeed delicious. Now he’s got a drink in hand and enjoys watching the other people dancing and talking, carefree for once. There is music, upbeat and happy and then slow and enthralling and Kurt feels the beat pumping through his veins and he basks in the feeling, his very senses savoring the melody.

‘You like this music, don’t you?’

The voice startles him, but he knows who’s talking to him before he turns around. Blaine is watching him from a distance, his eyes kind and welcoming and Kurt doesn’t have it in him to fight it tonight, not tonight.

He nods. ‘I do.’

‘You don’t dance.’

Kurt looks away and shakes his head. ‘No.’

When he glances at Blaine again, he’s suddenly right next to him and Kurt feels a shiver running down his spine. Why does this man affects him so much?

Blaine put his drink on the little table nearby and nods at the tree stump Kurt is sitting on. They have been somewhat awkward around each other since that night Kurt almost didn’t return from hunting, Kurt being afraid he let his guard down just a little too much and Blaine not wanting to force things.

‘Do you mind if I join you?’

Kurt hesitates, but when he looks into Blaine’s eyes, well, he’s lost. They just stare at each other and then Blaine takes Kurt’s drink out of his hands and puts it next to his on the table. He sits down, looking straight ahead, scooting closer until their hands are touching. Kurt flinches briefly and takes in a sharp breath. He turns his head to look at Blaine, but he keeps looking at the couples on the makeshift dancefloor.

‘Blaine.’ Kurt’s voice is hoarse and his chest feels heavy. He doesn’t back away, though, he can’t.

Blaine lets out a shivering breath and then links their fingers and Kurt feels his heart rate going up and up and up. He closes his eyes and whispers again. ‘Blaine.’ He doesn’t know what to do until Blaine suddenly stands and looks at him, his eyes pleading. Then he leaves, looking back at Kurt every ten seconds. Kurt tries to regain his breath and straightens up his clothes. It’s not like he has any decision to make right here, there just isn’t any choice to make. He stands and looks at the dancing crowd once more, before he turns around and follows.

*

There’s a silent thump when the door closes. Kurt leans against it and swallows. He keeps his eyes downcast and doesn’t move. He senses Blaine getting closer. He’s getting closer and all Kurt can do is close his eyes. The soft touch on his cheek startles him and he whimpers quietly.

‘Don’t.’ He shakes his head. ‘Don’t do this, Blaine.’

‘Why?’

His voice is hoarse and so much closer than Kurt anticipated and it sends shivers all over his skin. He feels a light stubble rubbing over his neck and then a warm breath, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

‘It’s wrong.’

‘Is it?’

Those silent whispers, the light touches make Kurt bite his lips once again.

‘Don’t do it.’ That’s when he opens his eyes. That’s when he messes up completely. He can’t back away when Blaine moves even closer. He just can’t.

‘Blaine.’ It’s a plea. Kurt doesn’t even know what for. ‘Blaine.’ The moment their eyes meet something happens, Kurt feels something shift inside his chest. It’s finally giving in, he thinks. 

 

He yanks at Blaine’s head until their mouths crash together and then he stops thinking altogether. He feels their lips touching and then it’s all tongue and teeth and dirty and messy and he can’t get enough.

‘Oh god.’ Blaine shoves his hands under Kurt’s ass and lifts him up, then pushes him against the door.

‘You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.’ Blaine groans and pushes some more but Kurt needs him closer still.

‘Come here. Closer. Please. Please.’ He wrinkles Blaine’s shirt and he might tear it a little, but he couldn’t care less. ‘Blaine.’

His heart is beating wildly and his mind gets fuzzy.

‘Touch me. Blaine. Please.’ He starts sobbing. ‘Please, please.’

‘Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay, Kurt. I got you. I got you now. Please don’t cry.’

He feels Blaine’s careful fingers caressing his skin while he peppers kisses all over his face.  
Kurt almost starts hyperventilating. 

 

‘I need… I need...’

Blaine’s dark eyes look into his and there’s an understanding Kurt has never seen before.

‘I know what you need. Just let me give it to you.’ Blaine closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them again he seems to have regained control.

‘Please, Kurt, let me give it to you.’

*

Blaine lowers Kurt on his bed and tries to keep it together, seeing this beautiful man so open and vulnerable right in front of him. His eyes are glazed over and Blaine just wants to be sure Kurt really wants this, he wants to be sure he’s fully aware of doing it.

‘Kurt…’ He takes a deep breath. ‘Are you sure…’

‘Blaine. Please.’

Kurt takes his hand and guides it over his chest, the colors of Blaine’s body contrasting with the pale, flawless skin of Kurt’s. His breath hitches and he knows his body is showing his excitement, his willingness to give himself to this man who’s being so careful with him. The thought of finally getting what he desires is almost more than he can take.

‘Blaine, I’m…’ He decides to take a chance here. ‘I’m yours. Already. We both know it, even if I wanted to ignore it. Just make me feel it. Make me feel it.’

Blaine suddenly feels calm. If Kurt is willing to trust him like this, he’s going to live up to it.

‘Lay back, sweetheart.’

Kurt closes his eyes at the term of endearment. How long has it been since anyone called him that?

‘Kurt, lay back.’

Blaine carefully pushes at his chest and Kurt goes willingly. Then there are clothes being shed and finally, finally skin on skin and it’s too much and not enough. Blaine is everywhere, his hands roaming Kurt’s skin, his mouth whispering, kissing and biting, his body enveloping Kurt with a warmth he has never felt before. Kurt’s nerves feel like they’re on fire and he tries to stay focused, but Blaine makes him feel so safe and so cared for, exploring his body and making him feel so good up until the point Kurt feels like he’s floating. He’s vaguely aware of Blaine whispering to him, soothing him.

 

He tries to come down from his high while he’s still panting and then he’s crying a little and Blaine is still there. He’s still there, caressing him, cleaning him up and Kurt doesn’t even know what he did to deserve this.

Blaine just smiles at him. ‘It’s okay, sweetie, just rest for a bit. Just a little while, let me hold you Kurt, just for a little while.’

Blaine pulls him closer to his naked body until they’re flush together and Kurt feels himself relaxing and then drifting off. While Blaine whispers sweet nothings into his ear, neither of the boys is aware of the soldiers rapidly approaching their settlement.

‘Sleep tight now, Kurt, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, sweetie, I’ll take care of you from now on.’

*


End file.
